Potato cutter



June 10 a 1924- E.- BAERENFAENGER POTATO CUTTER Filed June 18. 1923 'INVENTOR Patented June 10, 1924.

ERVIN BAERENFAENGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POTATO CUTTER.

' Application filed June 18, 1923. Serial No. 645,967.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Envm BAERENFAEN- GER, a citizen of Germany, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in culinary devices and particularly to an apparatus for cutting fruits and vegetables, such as potatoes, into shape preliminary to cooking or like uses.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device having means whereby it can be conveniently secured to a shelf or table top for operative purposes, or removed instantly therefrom, the device including a receptacle for the articles to be cut and containing interchangeable cutters for producing difierent forms.

Another purpose is to produce a hand operated plunger for pressing the articles into cutting engagement with the knives, the cut ter and plunger being maintained in registration by guides operative internally of the receptacle.

These objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a partial side and partial sectional view showin an embodiment of the invention, as assembled for operation.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the hand operated plunger.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the cutter.

While the apparatus may be used for a diversity of purposes, the embodiment shown is particularly applicable to cutting peeled raw potatoes into long thin strips of uniform rectangular cross section, preparatory to frying, in the production of what is commonly called French fried potatoes.

To accomplish the proper cooking of the potatoes it is very desirable that the section area of the strips be alike in order that the same may be cooked to an equal degree and such preparation is difficult of accom plishment, even by a skilled cook, but by the use of this device is accurately done and in a very rapid manner.

In the drawing, a metal frame is shown, consisting of an upright 5 having on one side near the middle of its length, a downturned lug 6 extending some distance and having a flat surfaced end disposed at a right angle to the upright.

The extreme low-er end of the upright is inturned presenting an arm 7 'in register with and spaced from the lug 6, this arm being provided with a screw 8 having a winged head 9 and carrying at its point a disc 10 opposed to the end of the lug 6 and adapted to clamp between them a supporting element, as the table top shown in Figure 1, thus rigidly holding the frame in an adjusted position.

The upper end 11 of the upright is curved to extend over the lug 6 and carries a cylinder 12 having a reenforcing band 13 around its lower edge and a thin inner ledge 14 on its inner surface at the bottom, the cylinder being otherwise open at both ends, its axis being parallel with the upright 5.

Seated in the bottom of the bore of the cylinder, on the ledge 14, is a ring 15 having on its outer sides oppositely disposed, key-like projections 16 suited to slidably en gage in longitudinal grooves 17 formed in the inner wall of the cylinder to guide and locate the same. I

Extending across the ring are a plurality of knife blades 18 arranged at right angles and having between them regular square spaces 19 which determine the cross sectional area of the article forced through.

The plunger is composed of a knob 20 suited to be conveniently grasped in the hand, its reduced lower end being fixed to a circular plate 21" having on its underside a disc 22 from which extend a plurality of projections 23 suited to enter the spaces 19,

the disc 22 being provided with opposed keys 2 1 to engage the grooves 17, thus holding the projections in register with the spaces, the cutter blades 18 entering the channels 25 between the projections when the plunger is in its lowermost position.

In operation, the apparatus is clamped upon a table, the plunger removed and a potato, previously peeled, placed in the cylinder to rest on the upper exposed edges of the cutter blades.

The lunger is entered and pressure ap plied, forcing the potato through the cutters to drop into a dish set below the cylinder to receive the sliced potatoes, this operation being repeated as desired.

It will be apparent that the cutter carrying rings and plungers may be of Various sizes and shapes, substituted at will and that the gig entire device can be readily cleaned after use, the cutter rings as Well as the plungers being readily removable.

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it Will be understood that minor changes, Within the scope of the appended claims may Well be made Without the exercise of inventive genius.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A potato cutter comprising a cylinder, said cylinder having an inreachiug ledge at its bottom, said cylinder being interiorly and vertically grooved upon opposite sides, a ring removably fitting said cylinder to rest upon said ledge, a plurality of cutter blades arranged in a level plane extending in parallel and transverse relation across said ring, lugs on said ring in said cylinder fitting the mentioned grooves, a plunger slidable in said cylinder, and lugs on said plunger also fitting the grooves.

In Witness whereof I have affixed my signature.

ERVIN BAERENFARNGER. 

